Plots and Secrets
by Rebecca1
Summary: Part of the Weekly Prompts for June - Prompt : Someone's curiosity gets the better of them. Garcia decides she needs to know why Reid won't go out with the team after he acts suspiciously.
1. Chapter 1

**Plots and Secrets**

For the Criminal Minds Weekly Prompts – June

**Open Character Prompt****: Someone's curiosity gets the better of them.**

It's my birthday today :D I'm officially 17 and got a whole lot of chocolate and sweets :)

…

"Guys I can't go. I've got stuff to do." Reid told his team for what seemed like the billionth time that day. They had each asked as a group and then individually several times in hope that he'd give in and go out with them but he didn't. He knew they assumed he'd just go home and sit in a corner and read but he did genuinely have stuff to do. He truly was busy and wasn't reading or going to a convention or anything of the sort. He wasn't as weird as they thought he was but he preferred the thought of pretending that he was over showing them that he was, in fact, completely different.

"Like what?" JJ pushed, he was a nice guy and she loved him like a brother but sometimes it grated on her that he was so stubborn.

"Just stuff. I'm sorry, maybe next time and I'll buy you all a drink." With that he rushed out of the door. They knew he was hiding something and Garcia vowed to find out what.

"New plan." The eccentric blonde stated. She would get to the bottom of his strange behaviour if it was the last thing she did. Nothing could stop her when she set her mind to something. "We're gonna find out what he's hiding." The five other team members exchanged worried glances, each not wanting to invade the younger man's privacy but also not wanting to cross the tech goddess, they would much rather go along with it and stay in her good books that even consider the alternative. She was too good at her job and it occasionally acted as leverage for the woman to get what she wanted out of her teammates. Yep, there were definite perks to her job.

"I don't know about this, he's a private person, maybe he just needs to be alone?" Prentiss dared to say although it ended as more of a question. She did speak the truth; Reid was solitary by nature hence why they treaded so lightly when trying to get him to open up to them. Garcia turned to the woman and raised her left eyebrow.

"Oh sweetie, what do you think he'd be doing, killing someone?" She shook her head at the older woman before realising the irony behind her statement. "Anyway, he's probably just tucked up on the sofa with some coffee and a book. It's Reid we're talking about here." They all had to admit that the tech analyst had a point there.

"Ok, so just out of curiosity what are you proposing we do?" Hotch took control and at the shocked looks of the team decided to defend himself quickly. "What? Like you guys weren't thinking the same thing. I really was just curious." No-one believed the man of course but knew better than to argue. He had just as much power over them as Garcia, with the ability to make their work life a living hell – paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. It'd be their worst nightmares.

"Well…" She started, a sly smile creeping up on her face as she revealed her plan to the doubly stunned agents. They really weren't sure if this was a good idea. Before they had a chance to say no they were ushered from the building and into their FBI issued vehicles. Rossi had a bad feeling about this and he had learned to trust that feeling. What had he gotten himself into?

…

"Well knock then." Morgan told JJ as they stood outside the door of Reid's apartment.

It was in a nice neighbourhood, a really nice neighbourhood actually and they didn't have that kind of image for the genius. Inside they all had an image of a darkish place with books everywhere; kind of untidy and nothing more than simple furniture.

"Why don't you knock?" JJ retorted. The team had been rallying backwards and forwards for five minutes in a feeble attempt to get someone to knock on the door; even Hotch and Rossi had refused.

"It was Garcia's idea so why doesn't she knock." The Unit Chief reasoned which only earned him a glare from the woman.

"I'll knock or we'll be here forever and I don't want to spend the night here. But I'll have you all know that you'll be buying me drinks for the night for doing this." Rossi stated as he pushed Derek and Jennifer lightly out of the way and knocked. It only took a minute before the door opened. Needless to say, it was not Reid who answered the door.

"Hi." The brunette girl stated. Prentiss had concluded that she couldn't be more than three or four years old.

"Erm…" Morgan started really not knowing what to say. They were confident that this was Spencer's place. "I think we have the wrong place. I'm sorry sweetheart." The little girl giggled before stepping out from behind the door.

"Nope, you're daddy's fam'ly. He talks 'bout you all the time." The girl stated. The more the team looked at her, the more they could see the similarities between the genius and the girl; their eyes were the same, even their hair colour was the same. "I'm-"

"Isabella what did I tell you about opening the door without me or mummy here!" Her dad scolded, picking her up. He had no shirt on and his hair messy. The women were surprised at just how much he hid under those shirts. He actually had muscles and really was attractive. JJ smiled at the revelation of him having a family, it made sense considering his development with children – they used to cry because of him but now they love him. He's great with Henry and with Jack.

"Sorry daddy." She replied pouting, looking like she was on the verge of tears. Her father just sighed and shook his head before kissing her nose and forehead gently. "But it's your fam'ly and I wanted to meet them." His eyes widened slightly and he whipped his head around to the direction of the open doorway, the faces of his team mirroring his own surprised face.

"Baby, go play with your sister for me." He told her as he set her down and kissed her forehead.

"But I don't wanna. She's no fun and she's reading and mummy says I shouldn't disturb her while she's reading." The girl stated matter-of-factly. It reminded the team of Spencer when he was sharing the pieces of the puzzle he'd put together during cases.

"Ask her nicely or read with her though." The girl rolled her eyes and sighed before dragging her feet into the direction of the farthest door at a snail's pace.

"What are you doing here?" The young man started. "I told you I was busy." Everyone backed away leaving Penelope still standing at the forefront of the door.

"It was all her." Hotch informed him much to the amusement of the team, except Garcia. It was just too funny knowing that Aaron was actually worried about what Spencer would do or say.

At the look she received from the genius she felt obligated to explain. "Well-I-"

"Yah know, you're daughter is a nuisance. She just made Lily cry. Again." The woman before them smirked at the man. For the second time within the space of eleven minutes, the teams mouths dropped open.

"Oh Garcia, have you ever heard the expression curiosity killed the cat? Next time maybe you should be more careful about your curiosities. You could've just called or something." The doctor told her without looking at her, his focus set entirely on the woman wearing his shirt, both with smiles on their faces.

…

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	2. Chapter 2

**Well I got the most reviews ever on this fic for a chapter or one of my one-shots so I'm gonna try and add this chapter and see how it goes , whether I should carry on with it or just delete this and leave it as a one – shot or whatever .**

**Here it is – and thanks for the reviews , hits , favourites and alerts :D**

…

"Don't be mean Spencer." The woman lightly scolded, tapping him on his bare chest. Already the team could tell that the two were polar opposites, she was an extrovert whereas he wasn't, she seemed like the popular type but he didn't. Actually, she looked like the kind of girl that would be a cheerleader and date football players, therefore seeming like someone who would bully him back in high school.

"I'm not being mean, I was just saying that she could've called or something." He defended, all the while with a smirk on his face. "Look, since you're all here you may as well come in." He had to hold back laughter as he looked over at his shocked teammates. Spencer pushed the woman backwards with him away from the door and towards the sofa, his arms wrapped tightly around her the whole time to secure her.

The eight of them sat there in an awkward silence not knowing what to say. The BAU were still stunned by the discovery and for Reid and the brunette woman it was just awkward. Her legs were over his lap whilst his fingers crawled slowly up her thigh. It reminded Hotch and Rossi of when they were younger and their love was blossoming for the women that would become their wives, and then their ex-wives.

"Oh by the way, being as you're aware of my girls," he winked at the woman in his arms before continuing, "she's pregnant again. Two months now." Said woman slapped his hand down on her thigh as it threatened to reach under the shirt that was barely covering her underwear. Sliding his hand back down to her knee he began the same path again eliciting a sigh from the woman.

"How could you not tell us that you had children and an erm," JJ started before realising that she didn't actually know who this acquaintance was or what she was to the genius.

"Wife. She's my wife. Oh, and her names Ellie. Ellie Reid." The man answered proudly. It amazed the team how they looked at each other with such adoration and it still seemed like they were still at the 'honeymoon' stage of the relationship.

"How long have you been married?" Garcia found herself asking. How she hadn't known this was beyond her. From now on, she promised herself to check her teams finance records and anything that could possibly affect her babies. She was going to find out everything possible on his wife regardless of it invading their privacy. She would do it secretly with her precious computers instead of prying.

"Seven years now. We've been together for fourteen years though." Ellie answered as she snuggled closer to her husband who, in return, kissed her gently causing her to smile.

After this new revelation, Rossi and Hotch were re-evaluating everything they thought they knew about the kid, Morgan was kicking himself for not realising it, Prentiss and JJ were just happy for him for having someone that loves him, Garcia was formulating plans to interrogate him further and the newly-found-out couple were carefully assessing the situation.

"And how old are your daughters?" Aaron found the need to ask. Maybe Jack, Henry and his daughters could have play dates? It'd be nice to have more reasons to see each other without it being due to their horrific jobs.

"Is is four and Lil is three." Reid stated. "Maybe we could organise a play date or something cos Is seems to get on better with boys for some reason." He gave a look to a smiling brunette. "And it'd be good for Lily to socialise more."

"It's not my fault she gets on better with guys, I didn't do anything." Ellie confirmed with her signature smirk. Emily thought it was cute that he was so at ease with her although she assumed it'd be because they'd been together for so long. Still, it was nice to see him so open and happy. There was also the fact that he had someone around that wasn't the team, someone who he could talk to and who was there to help him unconditionally. Briefly, the memories of his drug problem flashed through her mind like a movie and she wondered if it was Gideon that made him stop or his family. Her guess was the latter, he wouldn't destroy his family like that.

"She's way too much like you for her own good. Soon she'll be fighting and getting kicked out of school and she'll have a really bad attitude." He told her. A huff and an eye roll was all he received. Well that and the "I'm not gonna even dignify that with an answer" remark she liked so much.

"Mummy! Daddy!" A little girl shouted. Rossi realised it must've been the younger of the two girls although the similarities between the parents and the two girls was scary. The younger girl slid to a halt in front of her parents, panting for air. "Isabella hit me and lost the page in my book!" Her voice could not be qualified as an 'inside voice' and they were shocked a girl so small could be so loud.

"She's your daughter." Spencer said quickly. This was a regular thing the parents did. Whenever the girls did something wrong they would tend to pass 'parental rights' over to each other so they didn't have to deal with two crying, shouting little girls. Right then the older of the girls ran up to them with the book in her hand.

"She wouldn't play with me and I asked her really nicely daddy. I said please." Isabella informed them, equally as breathless as she glared at her sisters.

"The joys of parenting." He mused to no-one in particular. The team were stifling laughs whilst watching curiously at the family.

"Daddy!" The girls whined in unison.

"Ok. Shhh." The mother took control, moving her legs of Spencer and sitting next to him instead. Reid sighed from clear discontent before taking a crying Lily on his knee and kissing her head. "We don't ever hit people, Is. It's unacceptable and I've warned you once that if you continued to misbehave you wouldn't go to Shelly's party." The girl's eyes widened and she began to shake her head vigorously.

"No mummy! You can't do that. I'm sorry. Really. I am." She begged, jumping up and down in front of her mother. One thing the husband and wife hated about being parents was when they had to punish their girls or scold them. It made them both feel guilty watching them say sorry and then cry whilst the parent fought to not let it get to them.

"You were warned several times so it's tough." Her tone left no room for argument and so the little girl decided to change tactics.

"No. What mummy says go's and she's been nice enough not to of told me that you've been naughty. What's more is that you'd better stop complaining or you won't be going to Adam's house on Saturday." Dr Reid told the girl matter-of-factly just like the girl had done when she met the team.

"That's not fair." The girl crossed her arms, stamped her foot and pouted. Lily laughed at her older sister, tears no longer falling from her pretty brown eyes.

"Hey you'll be going the same way if you start causing trouble." Her mother warned before Spencer even had a chance.

Morgan felt unusually proud of his colleague. He was sure that he wouldn't have been able to do that, not while they looked so cute with their tear-filled puppy dog eyes. He had a whole new load of respect for the kid. What's more was that he was a naturally great father and Derek was glad to have the honour of being his best friend.

Isabella, at the request of her daddy, gave her little sister her book back. The only way she figured she could be in her parents 'good books' again was to be an angel for the next few days in hope that they'd let her go to the party. There was going to be a bouncy castle and cake – who would want to miss that? The girl thought she'd die if she didn't go, especially if Lily got to go. The thought of sabotaging her little sister's chances crossed her mind but she wasn't that mean. After all, she'd do anything to protect her because she loved her.

"Daddy?" Lily looked up at the man and waited for him to look back at her. "That's the man that hit me on the head." She pointed at a very stunned Rossi.

…

**So here's that chapter**

**Sorry about the length of it , congratulations if you made it to the end**

**Anyway , could you please review and let me know what you think or whether this was worth it or whatever ? **

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	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the prolonged delay in updating but I've been really busy :S**

**Anyway , thanks for the reviews , hits , favourites and alerts :D**

…

The team stared at Rossi, eyes bugging out of their heads with their mouths dropped open. For a moment they wondered if they'd heard the girl correctly or if the girl was confused. Their heads snapped back into the direction of the family once they heard Ellie cover her laughter with a cough.

"He didn't hit you on the head; his book did." Spencer re-iterated and JJ was certain that it was for the teams benefit rather than because Lily didn't understand.

"She, because of a dare from Isabella," Ellie directed a look to her older daughter, who shuffled uncomfortably under her gaze, before continuing, "decided it'd be a good idea to climb the bookshelf in our study-"

"Hey!" Isabella intervened not liking the way this conversation was headed. "It's not my fault! I didn't think she'd be stupid enough to do it!" Her arms were folded stubbornly across her chest, her forehead slightly crinkled, portraying her anger. It reminded Spencer of his wife and then dismay followed. He not only had to deal with his wife when she was angry but his eldest daughter who was an exact replica of her and a younger daughter who was the exact replica of him. Personality wise of course. The two couldn't be more different and sometimes he really did resent that fact. He loved his family, he really did but sometimes it still became a little too overwhelming. In fact, sometimes he welcomed cases because they relieved him from his family but he immediately felt guilty for it. He was lucky to have a wife like Ellie; sociable, dependable and fun but most importantly willing to be with him. She loved him and had stood by him even when he was wrong. Wincing as he recalled his dilaudid problem and the argument with her that ensued. Isabella was one at the time and started screaming and crying because she'd been woken up by her parents shouting; well his shouting. It ended with him storming out, slamming the door after him. He didn't come back for two days nor did he make any effort to contact her. Fortunately, Ellie and Isabella were a secret, his secret, and so the team didn't know, couldn't lecture him or judge him not that he'd care if they had. Once he returned another argument ensued but this time they both shouted and screamed at each other, throwing things and cursing – Is, of course, was staying at 'a friends' house according to Ellie. He never found out who that 'friend' was despite his asking.

"Thanks for helping sweetheart." He was brought back out of his head by his wife's sarcastic comment.

"Sorry." He mumbled. Yep, sometimes it sucked to be him.

* * *

The team made it to the bar at 10.45 after spending two and a half hours at Reid's place. The last fifteen minutes were spent with the boys trying to convince Spencer to join them and the girls setting up a 'Girls Night Out' with his wife much to his annoyance.

"I can't say I'd ever imagined Reid with kids. I mean, it's Reid." Prentiss confessed as the remainder of the team nodded and mumbled their agreements.

"Yeah but they're cute. They look like him. Lily is just like him! Mini Reid." Garcia gushed as she downed the last of her beer.

"Bet they're a handful though." Morgan muttered. "Woulda been better if he had a son too. Nothin against girl's but if I had children I'd definitely want a son." Prentiss snorted at his predictability earning her a glare.

"Why? What'd be wrong with having a daughter? Girls are cuter and are generally not as violent. Oh, they are also better behaved." JJ summarised. She'd never admit it but when she first found out she was pregnant she'd wanted a girl. She smiled as she recalled her fantasy of her, Emily and Penelope going shopping for cute little dresses and shoes for her. Still, she loved Henry and wouldn't change it for the world. They could always try again. Planned this time of course.

"Cos if I had a little girl I'd constantly worry about where they were and then when she started dating I'd have to get baby girl here to give the guys a background check. I'd need to meet them too, make sure they're good enough. And if they hurt her I'd-"

"Ok. Background check?" Garcia laughed. "Seriously?" Mogan nodded, a little irritated by her interruption.

"I agree. If I had a daughter I'd feel the instinctual need to protect her from anything and everything. I have this for Jack but it'd be ten times worse if I had a little girl." Hotch revealed. He quite liked the idea of having a son and a daughter – having Jack be an older brother. The thought made him smile, he always smiled when he thought of his son. One particular time, Jack had come up to him and asked if he could have a little sister so he could protect her when 'daddy' wasn't around. Aaron's heart had swelled with pride and love for his only child. The thought did sound rather appealing to him but he doubted he'd have any more children now because he didn't think he'd ever get married again: not after Hayley.

"Yeah, I guess it's a guy thing, feeling like they have to protect girls. If I had a daughter, I'd give her the world, she'd be my little princess." Rossi informed them effectively breaking the Unit Chief out of his reverie. The girls rolled their eyes but smirked at the thought of Rossi having a daughter and referring to her as 'my little princess'. If she to be anything like Dave she'd hate the name. Rossi had always desired to have children. Of course, he wasn't fussy and didn't have a preference, he would've been happy either way. After he'd had a child with his first wife, after his son died, he'd never been able to get himself to try for another child. The loss of his son broke him and his first wife apart. His next two wives were a replacement for her. Thinking back he didn't think he loved them, they were just there to fill the hole in his heart. Unfortunately, that hole had never been filled, it was still there. He still thought about what could have been if his son hadn't died, if his first wife stayed with him, if they'd tried again. All these "what if's" and regrets. With his second and third wife, who were both at least eight years older than him, the desire to have a family just wasn't there. They wanted children but he didn't want to give it to them. Maybe he was just selfish or maybe it was because he felt like he was betraying Caroline, he'd never gotten over her. He did and always would love her.

"Urgh, men." JJ complained.

"I'll never understand why they feel the need to protect women." Emily added.

"Or why they think we need protecting." Garcia chipped in.

"Back in high school I was dating this guy, Callum, he was a football player." JJ began. "Once my dad found out, it was about two months after we started dating, and obviously my mom _(that's the American spelling right?)_ knew about it. But anyway, my dad found out and demanded I bring him round for dinner so he could meet him. During the dinner my dad, quite literally, interrogated him, and I mean 'what uni are you going to?' , 'what do you want to do?' and my personal favourite 'what are your intentions with my daughter?'. Afterwards my dad told Callum that if he hurt me he'd break his legs!" The blonde cringed at the memory as the men smirked and nodded, clearly praising her father's actions and making it apparent that they'd do the same.

"No way! That's ridiculous. Although my dad did tell me, in front of the guys I brought home, that they weren't good enough for me. Needless to say they never lasted long courtesy of my father." Garcia complained. When she was a teenager she really resented this fact but now it was comforting to her that he cared so much. Still, she hated that men thought women needed to be protected, like all of them needed a hero – she for one was an independent woman who did not need a man. Sure Derek would be there whenever she needed him to be but he knew full well that she would not tolerate him being there all the time to take care of her, she was not going to ever have her independence taken away from her. This was why she didn't want to get married.

"Ladies, ladies." Rossi held up his hands in distress, all this conversation was grating on him. Well, this particular conversation was grating on him. "Look, we need a little less conversation and a little more drinking." He held up his glass of whisky to emphasise his point, taking a much needed drink of it. "And besides, you all owe me a drink."

…

**So here's that chapter**

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